Similarities Between The Renaissance And The Middle Ages

The Middle Ages and The Renaissance periods have many similarities and many differences, but they also have similarities. Since The Renaissance period directly followed The Middle Ages, many characteristics carried over. The differences throughout The Renaissance Period did not happen immediately, the changes came with time. In this essay, I will be explaining the changes from The Middle Ages to the Renaissance, why these changes occurred, and similarities and differences between a piece from The Middle Ages and one from The Renaissance.
During The Middle Ages, an individual’s way of life was dictated by wealth and gender. Noblewomen during this time period spent most of their time in the home and supervising activities there. Peasants in this time period had hard lives. Their time was spent on labor, including plowing and haymaking. They typically lived in huts. Household chores were done by peasants, including cooking and cleaning. The life of a Knight …show more content…
This composition has a single melodic line throughout. This song also has a strong and quick beat to it because it is a medieval dance piece. The piece from the Renaissance, Pope Marcellus Mass: Kyrie, has a polyphonic texture. This piece is for an a cappella choir consisting of soprano, alto, two tenors, and two bases. The voices all flow together at the end of each section and has a very full sound. These two pieces are very different from each other and can show the differences in music between these two significant time periods.
Throughout The Middle Ages and the Renaissance, there were many significant changes to clothing, culture, and music. These changes including the lessened influence of the church and the invention of the printing press, created a higher demand for music. This higher demand for music encouraged exploration into new types of music which led to a polyphonic sound. Music is constantly changing and that’s what makes it so